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Chronicle of the Withered Seas
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<blockquote data-quote="Brimshack" data-source="post: 3146787" data-attributes="member: 34694"><p>We approached the dock in the early evening. Our mood was a light and pleasant and our shoulders heavy with supplies. It had been a full day of shopping, so to speak, and we had secured virtually everything on our wish list. We couldn't help but laugh as the Countessa tried to finish a story about a social event - some fabulous dinner - the likes of wich most of us could only imagine. She was interrupted constantly and humerously by (her Fiancé) the Baron's dry quips about this or that guest (most of whom he seemed to hold in contempt. How we had come to inherit the company of such high and might company was beyond me, but for the present they were a shear joy to have amongst us. And that was but the tamest of our entertainment. Our little Mary Sue Cleric dodged the seeking hands of not one but two companions only to land securely in the groping claws of a third. At this, chuckles turned to howls and at least one of my companions spewed a mouthful of wine into the air getting a drop or three on the living construct, who proceeded to complain of the dangers of oxidation or some other such magic. It was a fine evening. </p><p></p><p>In all this merriment, some of us, I suspect , had all but forgotten the rumours we had heard earlier in the day, rumours that someone had recently been touring the bars in search of mercenaries. That someone, so the rumours went, appeared to be in a hurry to put a force together. The city was bracing for trouble while we enjoyed a rare moment of luxury and comfort. And still, I couldn't help but notice our bounty hunter study the surroundings, as was his habit. Following his eyes up the dock, I could see all 3 of our boats lashed safely to the left side of the pier ("left" is the right word amongst the landbound. No?). A fishing boat rested on the far end, it's crew hastily offloading supplies. Behind us lay a span of open ground for about 50' followed by a maze of stores and warehouses. For just a moment, I couldn't help but imagine my role in some great ambush to take place at this very site. I envisioned myself, crossbow in hand firing from some remote location at victims caught on the very pier where I presently stood. The bounty hunter must have entertained similar notions as he studied the location. I smiled as I thought that he have known far better than I what a wonderful location this would be to set up an ambush.</p><p></p><p>And I hardly noticed the sound of water rippling just to the right of the pier. A fish or a bird perhaps? I was too busy laughing at the Cleric to care.</p><p></p><p>The scene unfolded quickly, and for a time I must confess, without much of a contribution on my part. One of my companions cast a spell upon herself in preparation for what I hadn't a clue. A few of my friends actually drew weapons, and for just a moment I imagined they were preparing to spar with one another. But by far and away the majority of our companions simply continued strolling and laughing up the pier as I stood there a moment failing quite miserably to grasp the significance of the sound I had just heard.</p><p></p><p>It was the head of a great axe that I saw first, swinging up out from our own boat and completing a swift arc just in front of the Countessa. Behind the axe emerged a human, covered in terrible scars and coated in a black oily substance. To see such violence unfold in utter and complete silence was a little strange, but with nary the sound of a slice or a squeak from its target I surmised that he had missed entirely. An incompetent foe. perhaps, I began to breathe a bit easier. And yet, the Countessa flinched anyway, doubling over in obvious fear. We would expect such weakness from one who had gained virtually all of her skills off the pages of a book. To see this new addition - one who held herself so high above the rest of us - cower in the face of simple close call, a small measure of contempt certainly crossed my mind. Our knight challenged the wild-eyed axe-wielder, and several party members began to to direct their attention toward the same foe. She would always need such protection, I surmised. So be it. I began to reach for a bolt.</p><p></p><p>In another instant, the sailors at the end of the pier proved themselves part of the same plot, unleashing 2 dogs on our druid/leopard as they drew weapons of their own and advanced down the pier toward us. And then, <em>he</em> appeared. Rising quickly from the water just to the right of the pier, a Sahuagin lept onto the docks. His demeanour was confident as he took up a position nearly alone in the center of our party. Without thinking, I muttered thanks to the gods that our Knight stood between me and this new threat. And just as I reached for a bolt to place in my crossbow, the Countessa turned ever so slightly, just enough to reveal her hands busily grasping at the intestines which threatened to pour forth from her body onto the deck. Twas not fear that had made her wince.</p><p></p><p>In the moments that followed our Druid was to dispatch a single dog and to wound the other. Someone in our party cast a spell and a single enemy warrior froze in place at the end of the dock. Others closed with the front of the group and began to fight. I fired a single bolt at the axe wielding mad man standing precariously in our own lifeboat and the results were less than encouraging. In those opening moments the Sahuagin took but a single action, simply reaching out to touch the Knight which, may I remind you, was the only thing betwixt myself and this foul creature. That was it, just a harmless touch to the face, and then the two-legged shark turned his attention to the Countessa which stood between him and the Axe Wielding madman standing on our boat. I breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that I still had at least one meat shield between myself and each our known enemy.</p><p></p><p>Partly a gasp for air, and partly a wail from pain such as I have never personally experienced (not yet, anyhow), the sounds which issued forth from the Knight in front of me was perhaps the most frightening thing I have ever heard my friends. In but a moment, he was to step backwards and out of the way, pale beyond belief due to some sickness I could only imagine. thoughts of his pain had only just occurred to me when they were drowned away by a more pressing concern, there was no longer anything between myself and the source of his misery.</p><p></p><p>But things were moving very quickly in the vicinity of the axe wielder. The Countessa stepped foreword extracting herself from between these two fearsome opponents and recovering somewhat as the result of healing arts exercised by our little Mary Sue (contemptibly cheerful, that little girl, but she has her uses). A warrior from our party, one who goes by the name of Blood Breather then jumped wholeheartedly onto the prow of the rowboat, slamming his weight down on its deck with all the force he could muster. It was a good plan, but in the unsteady moments which followed, the only person to lose his balance was Blood Breather himself. As Blood Breather fell helplessly onto the deck of the little boat, the Axe wielder stood fast and smiled a little at his new victim. Next, the Baron himself charged onto the boat, attempting to drive our foe into the water. But alas, the Baron slipped and fell onto the deck of the same little vessel, never quite reaching the object of his fury. And herein we finally received a stroke of luck as the foe lost his balance in the ake of the Baron's charge and fell backwards into the water. Weighted down by a chain shirt and showing all the swimming skills of a sick cow, he was to do not but struggle to keep his head above water for the balance of our encounter.</p><p></p><p>When she recovered a bit from her wounds, the Countessa produced a dark cloud over the warriors at the far end of the pier, and in but a moment each and every one of themwas reduced to quivering death throws. The remaining soul, who stood motionless, pitch fork in hand was driven off the deck and into the water by the leopard. Whether this poor soul drowned or somehow recovered from his dweomer, I do not know, but I like to think he is alive somewhere and having trouble with his dreams of late. Somewhere in the mayhem, an archer had unloaded a volley of arrows into our own best bowman, seriously wounding the obvious competition. A wall of wind proved sufficient to drive his next volley up into the air. Moments later, his arrows fell harmlessly to the ground, and the source of them was never to be heard from again.</p><p></p><p>So, there I stood, as previously mentioned, with nothing to stop the terrible centrepiece of our enemy attack from closing an killing me outright. If it had reduced the Knight to a near child with but the touch of its hand, I shuddered to think what fate this creature could visit upon myself. But alas, my friends, my own efforts in this battle were unworthy of its attention and my skills were happily insufficient to secure my own demise. His designs were happily set elswhere, and the fish demon was to unleash a long black ray at the Baron, who was only then re-establishing himself over his own feet. It was a dark and terrible force extending well into the distance, but the Baron seemed to dodge it entirely with but a little effort. (For one of the chattering classes, the Baron it seems knows his way around a battlefield.) And in that moment I moved back down the pier, just far enough to place two clerics and a wizard between myself and this terrible foe.</p><p></p><p>It has perhaps occurred to you that I was behaving in just the sort of manner for which I had earlier condemned the Countessa, a double injustice considering how real her suffering proved to be. In truth, I cannot fashion a defence for myself, except to say that many a stray thought occurs in such harried moments. I am not proud of all of them, truth be told, but I will relate them just the same. To face this foe in close quarters with but a crossbow in hand was simply unthinkable; on that simple fact I must beg your assent. The Clerics would have faired better than I.</p><p></p><p>And herein lay the end of the encounter, my friends, as our Druid, still in Leopard form, caused the wood to warp under the feet of the abomination standing near the edge of the pier. He stood for a moment, poised as if to regain his composer, and I believe, simply chose not to. Seeing his one competent companion floundering about the pier, the archer foiled by wind, and a host of living expendables already spent, this terrible creature simply allowed himself to fall into the water. I and my friends wasted a moment of effort trying to hurt him in vain before he simply submerged and swam off to parts unknown.</p><p></p><p>I understand, an enemy was heard to be casting spells on the far end of the pier, but it seems he had waisted his efforts in support the doomed warrior-flunkies. Seeing them dead and other accomplices taken out of the fight, the coward simply abandoned the field without ever showing his face.</p><p></p><p>Caught between our small boat and the pier, the axe wielding human who had begun the encounter took hold of the pier and began calling for his companions. Standing just over him, the Baron transformed himself into a terrible creature, part man and part wolf. But what spell, the Baron accomplished this I do not know, I had thought him a rather straight foreword warrior myself. But in any event, he then smashed our sole remaining foe and in a single blow dragged him helplessly up onto the pier. Cold and beaten, the fool quickly surrendered, and we had this unfortunate creature bundled up and gagged with our fresh new rope long before the Harbour Master arrived to make his inquiries. The man was to spend a rather harrowing evening belwo the decks of our ship. On that little matter, I will have more to say later.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Brimshack, post: 3146787, member: 34694"] We approached the dock in the early evening. Our mood was a light and pleasant and our shoulders heavy with supplies. It had been a full day of shopping, so to speak, and we had secured virtually everything on our wish list. We couldn't help but laugh as the Countessa tried to finish a story about a social event - some fabulous dinner - the likes of wich most of us could only imagine. She was interrupted constantly and humerously by (her Fiancé) the Baron's dry quips about this or that guest (most of whom he seemed to hold in contempt. How we had come to inherit the company of such high and might company was beyond me, but for the present they were a shear joy to have amongst us. And that was but the tamest of our entertainment. Our little Mary Sue Cleric dodged the seeking hands of not one but two companions only to land securely in the groping claws of a third. At this, chuckles turned to howls and at least one of my companions spewed a mouthful of wine into the air getting a drop or three on the living construct, who proceeded to complain of the dangers of oxidation or some other such magic. It was a fine evening. In all this merriment, some of us, I suspect , had all but forgotten the rumours we had heard earlier in the day, rumours that someone had recently been touring the bars in search of mercenaries. That someone, so the rumours went, appeared to be in a hurry to put a force together. The city was bracing for trouble while we enjoyed a rare moment of luxury and comfort. And still, I couldn't help but notice our bounty hunter study the surroundings, as was his habit. Following his eyes up the dock, I could see all 3 of our boats lashed safely to the left side of the pier ("left" is the right word amongst the landbound. No?). A fishing boat rested on the far end, it's crew hastily offloading supplies. Behind us lay a span of open ground for about 50' followed by a maze of stores and warehouses. For just a moment, I couldn't help but imagine my role in some great ambush to take place at this very site. I envisioned myself, crossbow in hand firing from some remote location at victims caught on the very pier where I presently stood. The bounty hunter must have entertained similar notions as he studied the location. I smiled as I thought that he have known far better than I what a wonderful location this would be to set up an ambush. And I hardly noticed the sound of water rippling just to the right of the pier. A fish or a bird perhaps? I was too busy laughing at the Cleric to care. The scene unfolded quickly, and for a time I must confess, without much of a contribution on my part. One of my companions cast a spell upon herself in preparation for what I hadn't a clue. A few of my friends actually drew weapons, and for just a moment I imagined they were preparing to spar with one another. But by far and away the majority of our companions simply continued strolling and laughing up the pier as I stood there a moment failing quite miserably to grasp the significance of the sound I had just heard. It was the head of a great axe that I saw first, swinging up out from our own boat and completing a swift arc just in front of the Countessa. Behind the axe emerged a human, covered in terrible scars and coated in a black oily substance. To see such violence unfold in utter and complete silence was a little strange, but with nary the sound of a slice or a squeak from its target I surmised that he had missed entirely. An incompetent foe. perhaps, I began to breathe a bit easier. And yet, the Countessa flinched anyway, doubling over in obvious fear. We would expect such weakness from one who had gained virtually all of her skills off the pages of a book. To see this new addition - one who held herself so high above the rest of us - cower in the face of simple close call, a small measure of contempt certainly crossed my mind. Our knight challenged the wild-eyed axe-wielder, and several party members began to to direct their attention toward the same foe. She would always need such protection, I surmised. So be it. I began to reach for a bolt. In another instant, the sailors at the end of the pier proved themselves part of the same plot, unleashing 2 dogs on our druid/leopard as they drew weapons of their own and advanced down the pier toward us. And then, [I]he[/I] appeared. Rising quickly from the water just to the right of the pier, a Sahuagin lept onto the docks. His demeanour was confident as he took up a position nearly alone in the center of our party. Without thinking, I muttered thanks to the gods that our Knight stood between me and this new threat. And just as I reached for a bolt to place in my crossbow, the Countessa turned ever so slightly, just enough to reveal her hands busily grasping at the intestines which threatened to pour forth from her body onto the deck. Twas not fear that had made her wince. In the moments that followed our Druid was to dispatch a single dog and to wound the other. Someone in our party cast a spell and a single enemy warrior froze in place at the end of the dock. Others closed with the front of the group and began to fight. I fired a single bolt at the axe wielding mad man standing precariously in our own lifeboat and the results were less than encouraging. In those opening moments the Sahuagin took but a single action, simply reaching out to touch the Knight which, may I remind you, was the only thing betwixt myself and this foul creature. That was it, just a harmless touch to the face, and then the two-legged shark turned his attention to the Countessa which stood between him and the Axe Wielding madman standing on our boat. I breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that I still had at least one meat shield between myself and each our known enemy. Partly a gasp for air, and partly a wail from pain such as I have never personally experienced (not yet, anyhow), the sounds which issued forth from the Knight in front of me was perhaps the most frightening thing I have ever heard my friends. In but a moment, he was to step backwards and out of the way, pale beyond belief due to some sickness I could only imagine. thoughts of his pain had only just occurred to me when they were drowned away by a more pressing concern, there was no longer anything between myself and the source of his misery. But things were moving very quickly in the vicinity of the axe wielder. The Countessa stepped foreword extracting herself from between these two fearsome opponents and recovering somewhat as the result of healing arts exercised by our little Mary Sue (contemptibly cheerful, that little girl, but she has her uses). A warrior from our party, one who goes by the name of Blood Breather then jumped wholeheartedly onto the prow of the rowboat, slamming his weight down on its deck with all the force he could muster. It was a good plan, but in the unsteady moments which followed, the only person to lose his balance was Blood Breather himself. As Blood Breather fell helplessly onto the deck of the little boat, the Axe wielder stood fast and smiled a little at his new victim. Next, the Baron himself charged onto the boat, attempting to drive our foe into the water. But alas, the Baron slipped and fell onto the deck of the same little vessel, never quite reaching the object of his fury. And herein we finally received a stroke of luck as the foe lost his balance in the ake of the Baron's charge and fell backwards into the water. Weighted down by a chain shirt and showing all the swimming skills of a sick cow, he was to do not but struggle to keep his head above water for the balance of our encounter. When she recovered a bit from her wounds, the Countessa produced a dark cloud over the warriors at the far end of the pier, and in but a moment each and every one of themwas reduced to quivering death throws. The remaining soul, who stood motionless, pitch fork in hand was driven off the deck and into the water by the leopard. Whether this poor soul drowned or somehow recovered from his dweomer, I do not know, but I like to think he is alive somewhere and having trouble with his dreams of late. Somewhere in the mayhem, an archer had unloaded a volley of arrows into our own best bowman, seriously wounding the obvious competition. A wall of wind proved sufficient to drive his next volley up into the air. Moments later, his arrows fell harmlessly to the ground, and the source of them was never to be heard from again. So, there I stood, as previously mentioned, with nothing to stop the terrible centrepiece of our enemy attack from closing an killing me outright. If it had reduced the Knight to a near child with but the touch of its hand, I shuddered to think what fate this creature could visit upon myself. But alas, my friends, my own efforts in this battle were unworthy of its attention and my skills were happily insufficient to secure my own demise. His designs were happily set elswhere, and the fish demon was to unleash a long black ray at the Baron, who was only then re-establishing himself over his own feet. It was a dark and terrible force extending well into the distance, but the Baron seemed to dodge it entirely with but a little effort. (For one of the chattering classes, the Baron it seems knows his way around a battlefield.) And in that moment I moved back down the pier, just far enough to place two clerics and a wizard between myself and this terrible foe. It has perhaps occurred to you that I was behaving in just the sort of manner for which I had earlier condemned the Countessa, a double injustice considering how real her suffering proved to be. In truth, I cannot fashion a defence for myself, except to say that many a stray thought occurs in such harried moments. I am not proud of all of them, truth be told, but I will relate them just the same. To face this foe in close quarters with but a crossbow in hand was simply unthinkable; on that simple fact I must beg your assent. The Clerics would have faired better than I. And herein lay the end of the encounter, my friends, as our Druid, still in Leopard form, caused the wood to warp under the feet of the abomination standing near the edge of the pier. He stood for a moment, poised as if to regain his composer, and I believe, simply chose not to. Seeing his one competent companion floundering about the pier, the archer foiled by wind, and a host of living expendables already spent, this terrible creature simply allowed himself to fall into the water. I and my friends wasted a moment of effort trying to hurt him in vain before he simply submerged and swam off to parts unknown. I understand, an enemy was heard to be casting spells on the far end of the pier, but it seems he had waisted his efforts in support the doomed warrior-flunkies. Seeing them dead and other accomplices taken out of the fight, the coward simply abandoned the field without ever showing his face. Caught between our small boat and the pier, the axe wielding human who had begun the encounter took hold of the pier and began calling for his companions. Standing just over him, the Baron transformed himself into a terrible creature, part man and part wolf. But what spell, the Baron accomplished this I do not know, I had thought him a rather straight foreword warrior myself. But in any event, he then smashed our sole remaining foe and in a single blow dragged him helplessly up onto the pier. Cold and beaten, the fool quickly surrendered, and we had this unfortunate creature bundled up and gagged with our fresh new rope long before the Harbour Master arrived to make his inquiries. The man was to spend a rather harrowing evening belwo the decks of our ship. On that little matter, I will have more to say later. [/QUOTE]
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